Hogwarts School I
by Kolemegil L.S
Summary: NOTICE: This story is currently being rewritten for revisional purposes. The new version will be titled Hogwarts School I: The Blood Crucifix to better match its content.
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer:  
Okay, this is pretty much unnecessary since this is Fanfiction, but I'm saying it anyhow. There are several Original Characters mentioned in this fanfic. Among these are Toka Lombard, David Scott, Nicole, and Templa (There are others, but these are the main important ones mentioned most). These characters are mine, if you want to use them, please ask me first. Thank you, and on with the story...

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Hogwarts School I

CHAPTER ONE  
A NEW AGE

  
Ten years since Mr. Harry Potter attended Hogwarts, a new age of witches and wizards has begun. This story is not about Mr. Potter. His days at Hogwarts have passed, and new headmaster was been appointed at Hogwarts.  
However, this story begins far from Hogwarts. Far from number four Privet Drive & In fact, in the countryside. Where lives a very different sort of family in comparison to the Dursleys. The home of Peter and Michelle Lombard, and their four children. A boy named Toka lives, oldest of the four, and the only boy...  
Toka lived an ordinary life, he had his own room, his own possessions, he was not living in a cupboard under a staircase... He bore no lightning scar, but regular scars like any other 10 year old. His family was quite normal. His family had two cats. His parents did not spoil him or his sisters. In fact, his family had no history of magic ever. He had dark hair, and blue eyes, and often wore white, or light colored clothes, and always carried with him a miniature cross on a fine chain.  
Toka had just finished school for the year, and he lay on his bed staring at the ceiling in his room with his windows open. It was a great day to relax. A gentle breeze was blowing from outside, and the sun was setting slowly in the west, the sky fading softly from blue to red to the black of night. Toka heard a soft fluttering outside his window, and decided it was getting late, and finally began to get up to shut his window for the night, when he noticed an owl perched on his desk chair. It held a small letter in its talons.  
"Curious..." Toka didn't know what to make of it. When he approached it, it did not try to fly away, or flare it's wings in warning, but sat simply, and stared at him. "It must be tamed like a carrier pigeon." He thought to himself. He carefully brought himself closer to the bird, not wanting to alarm it. It tilted its head at him impatiently.  
He carefully removed the letter from its talons, and looked at the address: 

Mr. T. Lombard  
The Second Bedroom  
The House without a Number  
Outside of London

No mistake, the letter was for him. The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.  
Turning the envelope over, he noticed a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, and eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding the letter H.  
He carefully opened the envelope, and pulled out the letter inside and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

  
Headmaster: Ronald Weasley 

Dear Mr. Lombard,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
Yours sincerely,

Minerva Mcgonagall,  
Deputy Headmistress

"Await my owl?" Toka looked at the small creature on his desk. It ruffled it's feathers and looked to the window impatiently. Toka looked in the envelope again, and found two other papers inside. He opened the first and began to read:

Dear Mr. Lombard,  
It has come to the attention of the school that you are unaware of the wizarding society, thus, a representative from the school will arrive to help you with any questions or comments about the school. Expect him by six forty-five this afternoon.  
Yours sincerely,  
Ronald Weasley,  
Headmaster

"Six forty-five? That's now!" Toka jumped to his window again, the owl joining him. Outside, it was beginning to grow dark, but a small distance down the road, Toka spotted a large figure briskly walking towards his house. Toka could see the man's great shaggy mane of hair and wild tangled beard, and could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair. The owl chose this time to fly off, and as it soared away, Toka found himself climbing out of his house and onto the roof, and then jumping down onto the grass of his front lawn, to greet this strange visitor.  
"Aye there, yeh wouldn't happen to be Toka would yeh?" The giant of a man said looking down at the young boy, who typically towered over friends of his same age.  
"Y... Yes." Toka examined the giant carefully. "Are you from, what was it? Hogwarts?"  
"Aye, Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, at yer service. I suppose yeh'll be wantin' to know more about Hogwarts o' course." The giant offered his enormous hand.  
"I really don't know what to ask... But, Toka Lombard, at yours." Toka shook Hagrid's hand and smiled. "What is Hogwarts?"  
"Well, it's a school for teachin' young witches and wizards the ins and outs of wizardry. Now, it's very uncommon, but sometimes, from out of a line of nonmagic folk, a wizard or witch may appear, like you. Yeh've got what it takes teh attend Hogwarts, and don' be surprised. Most students come from parents who've got one witch or wizard parent, others've got parents who're both magic. Now, its yer own choice whether or not you want to attend, no one can stop yeh."  
"What about my parents?" Toka asked, surprised.  
"They got letters from Hogwarts too, tellin' 'em about it, and explaining the rules. They showed us their approval. Actually, they said it would do yeh some good.  
Toka considered this.  
"I'm surprised, who would guess that yeh've got some wizard neighbors!" Hagrid followed Toka to the front door. "An' call me Hagrid, everyone does."  
"Wizard neighbors? What do you mean?" Toka asked, surprised, as he lead Hagrid to the living room.  
"Jus' two houses down, the family there's got a lad bound for Hogwarts this year, and a daughter in her third year." Hagrid said as he sat down on the living room couch.  
"You mean, David's family?" Toka asked. David had been one of his best friends since he had moved from America.  
"That's the lad! His father is a wizard yeh know." Hagrid smiled. "Maybe he can join yeh in gettin' yer school stuff." He picked up a cup that Toka had set on the table. "It's getting' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."


	2. Chapter 2

Hogwarts School I 

CHAPTER TWO  
DIAGON ALLEY

  
Toka woke early the next morning. He usually did, but today he still wasn't quite awake yet, and he knew he had something important to do... But what was it?  
He looked around, and got out of his bed, and made his way to his window to look outside to see the sun rise. He noticed something on his desk.  
"That's it!" Toka finally began to wake up. "Hogwarts supplies today, yes, what an unusual evening..." He opened the window, and suddenly found himself in a flurry of feathers, as an owl flew into him. Toka recovered, and the owl flew to his shoulder. It dangled a newspaper in it's beak, along with a letter addressed to Hagrid. "Now that's unusual!" He shook himself completely awake, and walked downstairs to wake Hagrid.  
He found him sleeping soundly on the couch, and with some difficulty, roused him enough to notice his letter, and the newspaper. Hagrid handed the owl some strange coins, and the owl flew upstairs and out of Toka s window.  
"Blimey, what time is it?" Hagrid rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.  
"About six fifteen." Toka yawned as he came back downstairs from his room. He was already dressed and ready to leave.  
"Hrm..." Hagrid cleared his throat as he opened the papers. "Ah, now there's some good news, More o' Voldemort's old friends caught. Heh, it'll be Azkaban for them."  
"Voldemort? Azkaban?" Toka asked, curious.  
"Yeh, the Ministry of Magic's been tryin' ter round up the last of them rogues. Dark wizards they are Toka. And Azkaban prison is the most secure prison in the wizardin' world..." Hagrid shivered. "But times have changed, an' they don' use Dementors there anymore, so it's probably less nasty there. Dementors are monstrous creatures, to be feared fer sure."  
Toka couldn't picture Hagrid doing anything bad enough to be placed in a prison, but from the look on his face, it seemed he had his share of experiences with the foul sounding place, so Toka changed the subject. "So when do we leave?"  
"Yeh, well, we may as well set off now, an if yeh want, we can stop by yer friend David's to see if he would care to join us." Hagrid stood up and stretched.  
David s sister Becky answered the door. She was wearing a long robe over her usual clothes, and was holding a small wand in her free hand, which she quickly hid behind her back.  
"Oh, David, Toka's here, but hurry, we don't have much time..." She called over her shoulder.  
David ran to the door. "Oh... Hey Toka, um... I'm kinda busy today, so..."  
"Yeah, me too." Toka interrupted, "But I thought we might be going to the same place. We're on our way to pick up my school supplies."  
"What?" David looked confused.  
"You're going to Hogwarts too, right?"  
"WHAT! You mean... You're a wizard too?"

Soon Toka found himself on the streets of London with Hagrid and David, heading for wherever their supplies could be found. He pulled the last sheet he had received from the envelope to see what he needed.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM  
First-year students will require:  
1. Three sets of plain work robes  
2. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
3. One winter cloak  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)  
by Miranda Goshawk  
A History of Magic (Updated) by Bathilda Bagshot  
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi  
by Phyllida Spore  
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them  
by Newt Scamander  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection  
by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT  
1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
1 set of glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS  
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"Um... I think we might have better luck finding these things in Los Angeles than in London." Toka thought aloud.  
"Heh, yer jes' like Harry. Yeh jes' got ter know where to look." Hagrid smiled.  
David stood silent and staring at Hagrid as he had done since meeting him, but now he finally spoke. "Harry?"  
"T'was before yer time." Hagrid smiled. He stopped in front of a tiny, grubby-looking pub. "This is it, the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place." If he hadn't stopped there, Toka wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as id they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. David's parents walked in ahead of them.  
For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"  
"Can't now, Tom, but we'll stop by after we've finished shopping for some school supplies." Hagrid smiled.  
An old man sat near the old bartender. He turned when they walked in.  
"Mad-Eye Moody! Well what brings you here?" Hagrid smiled in surprise. Toka looked and nearly jumped. The man's magic eye way careening about wildly across the room, giving the impression that perfectly matched his name.  
"Ah, Hagrid, hello! Who are these two?" Moody turned his normal eye to Toka, and surveyed him carefully.  
"Jus' some new Hogwarts students, Headmaster asked that I help Toka here with his school supplies." Hagrid indicated to Toka. "I needed to stop by 'ere anyhow, so I says what the heck."  
"Well, good then. "Moody shifted his full attention (If you could call it full with his mad eye roving around the rest of the room) to Toka. "I taught very briefly at Hogwarts myself. Great school. Yeh'll do great." For a moment, his mad eye stopped on Toka, but then continued careening about the room.  
Hagrid lead the way across the room to a brick wall. Toka was absorbed in watching the rest of the room chatter on, but noticed Hagrid counting bricks in the wall.  
"Three up... two across..." he muttered. "Right, stand back now." He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella, which he had been carrying under his coat since Toka first met him.  
The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing an archway large enough for even Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.  
"Welcome," said Hagrid "to Diagon Alley."  
Toka stepped forward, and didn't even bother to notice the archway behind him shrink back into solid wall.  
The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self Stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.  
"Yeh got yer money Toka?" Hagrid asked. "We'll be needin' ter trade it first, ter buy yer school supplies."  
"Yeah..." Toka had no idea how much money he would need, so he had brought as much money as he could.  
"I suppose I ought ter tell yeh now Toka, how wizardin' money works, 'cause I m sure yer as lost with it as I am with Muggle money..." Hagrid started, but he was cut off by Toka's puzzled look. "Muggles? Ah, I forgot, tha's not the proper word anymore, I mean non-magic folk."  
"You mean ordinary people?" Toka asked.  
"Yeah, tha's righ'. Anyhow..." Hagrid pulled three coins out of one of his coat pockets. "The gold ones are Galleons, the silver ones are Sickles, and the Bronze ones are Knuts. Seventeen Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle. It's easy enough."  
They began walking alongside David and his parents, on the way to a shop called 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions', when someone caught Toka's eye.  
"Nicole?" A girl fairly distant from them looked up and noticed Toka, and began to make her way through the crowd towards him. David turned to look. A few summers back, Toka had met Nicole when she had been visiting David's with her family.  
"Hey, mom, dad, look, It's Nicole!" David waved to her as she came closer. "Wow Toka, I'm amazed you recognized her in this crowd.  
"Hey David... uh, Toka?" Nicole's smile turned to a questioning look "David, I thought you said Toka wasn't a wizard? I had wanted to show you a new summon last time."  
"Just found out he was one. Crazy eh?" David laughed. "I forgot, we're all so close in age, we'll all going to be attending Hogwarts together huh?"  
"Yeah, this is so cool, it'll be great!" Nicole exclaimed.  
Time flew quickly as they hunted down their supplies, and loaded them onto their carts. Toka got a nice set of brass scales on sale, and a collapsible brass telescope. Cauldrons too were on sale, and Toka was able to afford a very nice set of crystal phials, and all of his books.  
"Just yer wands left, that'll be Ollivander's - only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand." Hagrid pointed to an aged shop not too far away.  
"I've got to go pick up a few things, but I'll meet yeh at the Leaky Cauldron when yer done gettin' yer wands. I'm gonna need ter stock up on a few things before the school year starts." Hagrid explained before rushing off toward another shop which had a crossbow bolt depicted on the sign.  
"It's all right Toka, let's hurry." David called from the doorway.  
Toka took a good look at the shop before entering. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.  
Nicole walked in behind them. "I'll stick with you guys a while."  
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair. Toka felt as though he had entered a very strict library; he looked around him at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.  
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Toka saw David and Nicole jump in surprise, but was not startled himself.  
He had always been hard to startle.  
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.  
"Hello," Toka, David, and Nicole said in awkward unison.  
"Hmm..." said the man. "Yes, yes. I didn't expect I'd be seeing you today, Nicole." It wasn't a question. "Maple and phoenix feather. Fifteen inches. Quite strong, and also very good with summons, much like your mother. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself buying her first wand. Fifteen inches long, swishy, made of holly. Phoenix feather. Very good for summoning."  
"Your father was actually a decent summoner himself, but he favored a Yew wand. Twelve inches. Unicorn hair. Also fair with summoning, but good for charms too. Well, it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."  
He then diverted his attention to his immediate customers.  
"David. You're first." Ollivander indicated to the chair. "Which is your wand arm?"  
"Um, Mr. Ollivander, sir, I can use both." David said quietly.  
"Ah, ambidextrious, eh... Well, let's measure you up." Ollivander wasted no time in measuring up David, and continued talking while doing so. "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand." Toka watched as the tape measure, which Mr. Ollivander had long abandoned, was still taking David's measurements, and was currently measuring the distance between his eyes. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.  
"That will do," He said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, try this one." David tried each, and all were an utter failure with him. They didn't even seem to react to his touch, but Mr. Ollivander was persistent, and after each failure, dashed up with a new wand to try, but still no sign of anything working. By the time David had gone over nearly all of Ollivander's inventory, and still, not a single wand reacted to him. Wands were cluttered all over the small table, and just when David began to doubt himself, Ollivander stopped with a look of realization on his face.  
"Aha... That's what you are. I remember every wand I've ever sold. Every single wand. It so happens that I have never met a wizard who could not use a wand, however, My father once told me of a time, long ago, before even my great grandfather's time, a young wizard came into his shop, who was incapable of being paired with a wand. He was, however, quite capable of magic even without a wand. He purchased a false wand to keep his peculiar skill secret, and I believe became a great wizard dueler. David took a few seconds to absorb this, then realized what Mr. Ollivander was saying.  
"Are you saying I don't need a wand?" David asked cautiously.  
"I'd recommend your purchasing a false one, just in case. A wizard without a wand is likely to be distrusted." Ollivander warned. He held out a lightweight, fragile looking wand to David. Mr. Ollivander turned to Toka "I'm afraid I don't know your name young man."  
"Toka Lombard sir." Toka stepped forward slowly.  
"Toka, hmm... Ah, yes... I received a letter from Hogwarts about you. I think I know just the wand to try first for you!" Mr. Ollivander sprung to the shelves, and snatched up a wand, gave it a flick, and all of the wands that he had taken out to try David flew back into their boxes, and onto the shelves again. He flitted across the newly stacked shelves for a short while before finding what he was looking for.  
"Try this one." He held out the wand to Toka.  
However, the moment Toka touched the wand, it began to sputter and flash dangerously in many colors, as if it were threatening to burst into flames. David and Nicole covered their eyes, and Ollivander snatched it from his hand immediately.  
"Impossible, I've never seen a wand damaged simply by someone touching it." He held up the wand, which was now black where Toka had held it. He began muttering to himself.  
Toka was surprised. For the first time in his life, he became aware of a power within him, and felt it could, now awakened, be put to use. Mr. Ollivander suddenly went stiff, and he turned sharply to face Toka once again.  
"That power..." Mr. Ollivander turned around, staring at Toka with a look of extreme surprise on his face.  
Toka looked around himself, and noticed David and Nicole were on their feet, and staring at him intensely.  
"What was that Toka?" David asked silently.  
Toka reached again for the power that had been awakened in him, this time, drawing it out, and trying to focus it. David, Nicole, and Mr. Ollivander's eyes all went wide as they sensed the power that Toka was calling from himself. It wasn't very much power, If he had tried this outside in the alley, it wouldn't even have been noticeable.  
"So THAT's it." Mr. Ollivander exclaimed appDavidching Toka cautiously. "You don't need a wand, you need... something else..." He came very close to Toka's face, and gazed piercingly into Toka's eyes, as if affirming some idea running through his mind. Toka stopped focusing, and the tension left the room. Mr. Ollivander scuttled to the back of the room, and opened a small shelf that Toka had not noticed. Mr. Ollivander pulled a long staff from within the closet, and handed it carefully to Toka.  
"Try to focus through the staff." Ollivander instructed. Toka did, and it became quite apparent when the staff began to glow a light blue. Mr. Ollivander nodded in approval. "Amazing."  
"You don't necessarily need the staff, but it helps you to focus your power. I think we can expect great things from you."  
Toka was not charged for the staff, which Mr. Ollivander had said was just like any common stick, and David paid a Sickle for his wand. They met Hagrid at the Leaky Cauldron for a break. The Leaky Cauldron was empty except for the Bartender, who occupied himself shining glasses.  
David and Toka were absorbed in watching Nicole summon small fairies, which flitted about the room for a short while, before vanishing in a flash.  
"Once I tried summoning a pixy," Nicole shivered. "It took both my parents to contain it and dismiss it, even then, it had caused all sorts of damage to the house." A bright blue fairy flitted around Toka and remained for a considerably long time before finally flying off and vanishing.  
Toka found himself wondering the location of Hogwarts. A wizard school would be a hard thing to miss... "Hagrid, how will we be traveling to Hogwarts?"  
"The Hogwarts Express o'course. Didn' yeh see yer ticket in yer envelope?" Hagrid asked.  
Toka reached into his pocket and pulled out the envelope, and sure enough, a small train ticket was tucked into the corner of the envelope. He had missed it when he had first opened the letter.  
David's parents took Toka and David home after they finished and had said "Goodbye (for now)!" to Nicole. Toka walked the short distance from David's house to his own, and that night lay in bed, thinking and impatiently awaiting the day for him to go to Hogwarts.  
For the remainder of the vacation, Toka and David studied for the upcoming school year, their first at Hogwarts!  
"Sad that first years can't bring their own brooms." David complained, holding a slightly battered broom labeled "Nimbus Two-thousand".  
"I saw that on our papers... Why would they bring them in the first case?" Toka asked.  
"Quidditch of course!" David replied, surprised. "Oh, but wait, you wouldn't know about quidditch, would you? I guess I'll have to explain it for you..."  
"Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers." David motioned with his hands, "The Chasers throw a ball called a Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the quaffle goes through one of the hoops. The Quaffle's about the size of a soccer ball, and it's red. Got it?" David continued, "There's another player on each side called the Keeper, they fly around the hoops and try to keep the other team from scoring. There are also two Beaters per team... They try to knock two smaller balls called Bludgers toward the other team. The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. The last member of each team is a Seeker. They try to catch a small ball called the Snitch. It's fast, and near impossible to see. The Seeker who catches the Snitch scores their team one hundred and fifty points, and ends the game. I think that's it."  
David suddenly looked like he remembered something, "Oh, and players can choose their own uniforms, so long as they match team colors, and they can also choose how much protective gear they wear, since it has become a requirement for a medic to be at every game. They used to have official uniforms, but they've gotten more lenient. Also, it is possible for first years to make the Quidditch Team, but they seldom do, since the upper classes have more experience."  
"That's a lot, but I think I can remember it all." Toka nodded, taking it all in.  
"You want to try out my broom?" David offered.  
He showed Toka how to lift off, and use the broom for flight. Toka imitated using his staff, since he didn't feel quite ready for the challenge yet...  
Suddenly, as he imitated David's liftoff, the staff jumped into the air, carrying Toka with it.  
"Toka! You can get around the rules! Your staff is just as good!" David shouted, smiling with surprise.  
He touched down again, and waited for David to join him.  
"Wow, I'll bet you can go faster on that than a Firestorm One!" He exclaimed. "That's the most recent model. Faster than a Firebolt 3000, and much more maneuverable." The rest of that day was spent between the two practicing Quidditch. 


	3. Chapter 3

Hogwarts School I 

CHAPTER THREE  
THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS

  
The days flew by quickly, and before Toka knew it, his birthday arrived. July the seventh. The days at his house passed like any summer day, He often kept his staff up in his room, and his other supplies. He found his Standard Book of Spells to be quite useless. He only had to focus on the results, no silly incantations. David, however, was excelling in the charms. He seemed to have a natural ability with them.  
Finally, August the first arrived, and with many caring goodbyes, Toka had packed his equipment into his trunk, caught his cat, coaxed it into it's carrier, and shoved his luggage into the back of David's parent's van. They were off!  
When they arrived at the train station, Toka pulled out his ticket to see which platform they would be boarding from. "Platform nine and three-quarters?" He asked himself as they arrived at platform ten.  
"Yeah, can you believe it?" David smiled as they came to a stop.  
"David, my friend, I feel that after discovering myself to be a wizard, I feel no thing between heaven and earth could gain my disbelief." Toka muttered half to himself.  
He turned to David to see him running at the wall between the platforms. Toka immediately shot after him. "He must know something I don't..." Toka breathed to himself, and suddenly, David vanished into the wall in front of him, and before he knew it, he had too.  
He looked around to find himself on seemingly another platform. The sign above said platform nine and three-quarters.  
"You sure did catch on to that one fast Toka." David smiled from around the corner. "I thought my dad might have tried to explain it to you!" Toka noticed David's parents walking up behind them. David's mother seemed to be very shocked to be on the platform. David's father seemed to be trying to explain how she got there to her.  
"Happens every year... Mum just can't get over it. Becky scared her half to death her first year." David explained to Toka. Both of them laughed as David's mother cautiously tried to touch the barrier.  
Ahead of them, Toka spotted Nicole sitting on a bench with her luggage, and a large cage, which was covered. They exchanged their joyous greetings, and bid their families farewell.  
The three of them piled into the train, chatting excitedly. They found an empty compartment, and sat there talking to each other about their vacations.  
"So, Nicole, what kind of animal did you choose?" Toka asked.  
"Well," Nicole began, shifting in her seat, "I couldn't really decide because they're all so useful. An owl can deliver your mail, a cat can catch mice, and they're really good company, I didn't want a toad, because I'm afraid I might accidentally kill it... So my parents chose for me, and then taught me some neat transfiguration charms..." She bent closer to David and Toka. "I learned how to change it into whatever I want!"  
David stared blankly. "So what did you choose?"  
Nicole leaned back in her seat and paused. "Right now, I have a small owl. It's all white, but has some black feathers on it's head, but when we get to Hogwarts, I'm going to change it into a cat so it can move about more freely."  
"You can do that!" David exclaimed. Toka was impressed. Transfiguration had looked very difficult to him while he had been studying over the vacation.  
"So what did you two do all summer?" Nicole asked.  
While David was excitedly describing Toka's liftoff with his staff, a kid with a large cloak and hood stopped in front of the compartment door, almost hesitant.  
"Hello... May I join you? Everyone else is full." his face was shrouded under the hood, and Toka could see little more of him than his mouth and long blonde bangs.  
"Sure." Toka replied, moving over and offering him a seat.  
"What's with the hood?" David asked, distracted by the newcomer.  
"Uh... family reasons." He replied carefully.  
"Well, come on in, make yourself comfortable." Nicole invited.  
"Thanks..." He sat in the empty seat next to Toka, and he straightened his cloak out.  
"What's your name?" David asked.  
"Templa..." he replied, taking off his hood; revealing two pointed and long ears.  
"You're an elf!" David said, startled.  
"Yeah... A Wood Elf to be precise, (not to be confused with those little wizard house elves) and also the first at Hogwarts at that!" Templa smiled.  
"How did you get accepted?" Nicole asked curiously.  
"It wasn't easy. We elves have strong magic, and people think we don't need schooling (some think we shouldn't be schooled), but imagine how powerful a schooled elf will be! I'll be able to help all of my village!" Templa smiled.  
"You sure are tall." Nicole added admirably, scanning over him.  
"Wood Elves are always tall. You're probably used to those miserable little house elves, which I'm glad to say, are not even slightly related to us. People often think we're related simply because they've got pointed ears. Most witches and wizards think all elves are like their little pets..." Looking slightly uncomfortable, he changed the subject. "I'm hoping to try out for the Quidditch Team."  
"So early? What position? And what kind of broom do you have at home?" David asked, interested.  
Templa nodded. "I'm going to try for seeker, and I don't use a broom, I use a board. I enchanted it myself." He smiled, and he began to try to remove his cloak. Toka noticed two girls peeking into the compartment as they passed by. Templa's whole head was covered as he tried to pull off the cloak. The girls noticed they were spotted by Toka, and continued down the car.  
Templa finally forced his head out of the cloak, and tried to straighten out his hair, which had gotten tangled in the clasp. Toka noticed a fine chain hanging from Templa's neck. A small cross was strung onto it.  
"Hey..." Toka pointed to Templa's cross, and holding up his own, which he always carried with him. "I've got one too." Templa paused with the cape for a moment to look at Toka's cross.  
"Yeah... You do!" He laughed, "You bought that from me four years ago... I made them in my village. I went outside the wood to sell a few so I could afford the materials to make my board. You paid me extra for it though."  
"You were the kid in the hat?" Toka laughed.  
"Yeah." Templa smiled. "I had to wear it to hide my ears and hair."  
"So you live near..?" Toka began.  
"Not really, I had to travel pretty far because I had to buy the materials with human money." Templa said.  
"Why do you wear that necklace so often anyway?" David asked Toka.  
"Mostly just out of habit..." Toka paused, noticing a curious look on Templa's face. "Say, David... What are the chances of a first year getting onto the Quidditch team?"  
David scratched his head, "Gee... Slim to none I guess... From what Becky says, it's even rare for second years to join. It's brutal you know."  
"I'm thinking of trying out too." Nicole suddenly spoke up, "It's worth a try... I hear that last year, two first years made the teams, and a bunch of the team graduated last year, so there should be openings."  
Suddenly two boys with flaming red hair walked by the door.  
"Chris? Steve?" Toka asked. David diverted his full attention immediately to the two at the door.  
"Toka?" They both asked in unison. "What're YOU doing here? You're no wizard! ...Are you?" The two were twins from Toka's old school, and for some reason, though they both looked almost exactly the same, Steve appeared slightly more squinty, and because of that, Toka had little trouble telling which was which.  
"I may as well be asking you two the same!" Toka had least been expecting those two.  
"Yeah, our mom ends up bein' an old witch just like we always thought!" sniggered Steve. He turned to Chris for a high five. "So what are you doing here?" Chris asked, rubbing his nose, and leaning against the door frame.  
"Going to Hogwarts. I don't think there are any other stops..." Toka smiled. Troublemakers though they were, he had a hard time not liking them. "I'll see you when we stop." David put a hand to his chin when they left.  
"The Ragneder twins at Hogwarts? This will be interesting." He frowned. Toka could guess what he was thinking. How quick until they received their years first (of many) detentions?  
The rest of the ride was uneventful, except when a woman with a cart full of different treats stopped by, the four of them pitched in a bit of their money to try out a few of the items. Toka was caught off guard by the Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. The first Chocolate Frog hopped into Nicole's lap, which startled her, launching it into the air once again, into David's hair. David snatched at it as it once again hopped off, and toward the door, but it was Templa in the end who caught it. The Every Flavor Beans were first tried by Templa, who found his to be quite tasty... "I got a toffee." He smiled, but when David's turn came, he spat it out almost immediately, exclaiming: "Ack! That's not lemon!" They all took turns with the treats until they ran out. Toka ended up getting a taste of many of them, including mint, cherry, and chocolate, but also sardines, pine wood, and spam. 


	4. Chapter 4

Hogwarts School I 

CHAPTER FOUR  
HOGWARTS

  
When the train finally slowed down and stopped, people pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. It was slightly warm outside. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Toka heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Toka?"  
Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.  
"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"  
The students followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Toka thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much, except Templa, who had become known to the other students as 'Elf'. He didn't mind, in fact, he liked it.  
"What a night! Look at the stars!" He seemed truly absorbed in the sky. "Oh, to climb a tree for a clearer look!"  
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here. My, small group this year eh?"  
There was a loud "Oooooh!"  
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, it's windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.  
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Toka, David, Nicole, and Elf joined each other in a boat.  
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"  
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Templa seemed to be singing softly to himself, but everyone else was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.  
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.  
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge oak front door.  
"Everyone here?"  
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.  
The door swung open at once. A tall black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Toka's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.  
"The firs' years Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.  
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."  
She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was big enough to fit a house inside. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, and the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.  
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Toka could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they usually would have done, peering about nervously.  
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."  
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."  
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes on front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."  
Her eyes lingered on David's hair, which he made no effort to try to straighten.  
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."  
She left the chamber. Templa swallowed.  
"How do they sort us into houses?" he asked Toka.  
"Some sort of a test, I think. My dad said something about it once." David answered.  
Templa looked slightly worried, and made an effort to roll up his cloak into a small bundle. Toka's eyes were fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead them inside.  
McGonagall returned and instructed, "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start, now form a line, and follow me." the students quickly fell into line.  
Toka got into line with the others, and walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.  
Toka had never imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, and the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. The ghosts slowly were floating into the room, shivering still. Some students had questioning looks in their eyes when they noticed the shivering ghosts. Above, Toka saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He could hear a student to his right whispering about it being bewitched to look like the sky outside. To his left, he heard Templa muttering to himself that it wasn't the same effect without a nice breeze.  
Toka watched as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.  
For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:  
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your  
Soon to be filled heads  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be!"  
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It twisted awkwardly toward the teacher's table and whispered quickly:  
"Sorry it sounds familiar, but expect an extra special one next year! I've got an excellent one simmering!" It turned around again, and became suddenly still.  
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.  
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Rani, Aaron"  
A short boy with thick brown hair stumbled out if line, put on the hat, which fell right down over his eyes, and sat down. A few moments later -  
"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.  
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Rani went to sit down at the Ravenclaw table. A few names later...  
Several other students were sorted out with varying speed when Nicole's name was finally called out.  
The hat paused respectfully before announcing the first "GRYFFINDOR!" Before walking down, Nicole glanced at David and Toka, before rushing to join the applauding Gryffindor table.  
David was called up next. The hat seemed to be arguing with itself for a short time before shouting out with hesitation: "GRYFFINDOR!" David dashed to the Gryffindor table with joy.  
Templa came soon after. The hat announced with instant pride and amusement: "RAVENCLAW!" Templa looked relieved when he joined the happy Ravenclaw table. Before he sat, with a swift motion, and a few words plainly elven, his shirt changed from its plain white color to his new house colors. This received a few encouraging glances from the teachers. And so the hat continued on until -  
"Lombard, Toka!" Professor McGonagall called.  
Toka looked around as he walked up, and realized he was the last person standing anyhow. He picked up the sorting hat respectfully, and cleared his mind. The hat stayed comfortably above his brow because of his hair. He waited.  
"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, not a bad mind at all. There's talent, and cunning. Patient, I might add, confidence too I see. Not too much though. Trust too. A bit different than the others... Where to put you? You would do very well in Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff alike." Toka was taken back by what the hat said. But his mind turned toward David, Nicole, and Templa. "What's this?" The hat asked itself. "Yes, you ought to be with your friends. Good choices too. I leave it to you. Which house do you want to be in?" It paused, listening.  
The rest of the hall was tense with anticipation; this kid seemed very difficult to place for the hat. They had sat there for nearly ten minutes already.  
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted with finality. Toka carefully removed the hat and sat it on the stool, then walked to the Gryffindor table. He noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet.  
Toka took his seat next to David, who was talking to a second year student across from him.  
"Ragneder, Chris!"  
This time, the hat took a short time before shouting:  
"HUFFLEPUFF!" Chris walked slowly to the Hufflepuff table while Steve glared at him.  
"Ragneder, Steven!"  
The hat was still a full foot away from him when it screamed in agony: "SLYTHERIN!" The entire table of Slytherin burst out in rampant applause.  
Professor McGonagall had rolled up her scroll and taken the sorting hat away already. Headmaster Weasley had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.  
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Let the feast begin!" He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Toka suddenly noticed the dishes in front of him, which had been completely empty, were suddenly piled with food. He decided it was better if he didn't gorge himself, and took a small portion of food.  
The meal was particuarly good, and when the desserts came up, Toka was glad he had saved room. Nicole and David had eaten their fills, and now looked wistfully at Toka's plate from across the table, obviously wishing that they had also not eaten so much. When at last, the desserts too disappeared, the hall fell silent, and Headmaster Weasley rose to his feet again.  
"Welcome, all of you, to another year at Hogwarts. First years please note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."  
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested should contact Madam Hooch."  
"Also, I am pleased to announce, that Professor Snape will once again be teaching our Defense Against the Dark Arts course, for the third year running!" Scattered applause followed this last announcement.  
David leaned over toward Toka, "I hear that about fifteen years ago, they couldn't find a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who stuck for more than a year!" he whispered.  
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" 


	5. Chapter 5

Hogwarts School I 

CHAPTER FIVE  
CLASSES

The next day, Toka awoke early and went down to the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs. No other students were awake. Toka sat in an armchair by the unlit fireplace.  
"Why did the wand spark in my hand? Am I magic, but not the same kind of magic as the wand? What _am_ I if I'm not a wizard?  
"why, the answer is quite simple." A voice answered. Toka jumped and glanced about the room, but no one was in sight. "You are as you are, they are not. The darkness fails in the presence of light."  
"Who is that?" Toka continued to seek the source of this voice. "What do you mean?"  
"... I may come again, but before I go, I must ask you, would you duel me sometime?"  
"What?" Toka began to feel that the voice was coming from somewhere near the fireplace. "How does one duel a faceless voice?"  
"Heheh... You've seen my face."  
Toka was sure of it, the voice was coming from the fireplace."... Sure then, as long as it's a friendly duel, not a fight to the death or anything like that."  
"Great. I'll see you in the Great Hall later, but the duel will have to wait until you're good and ready, perhaps after Christmas? Later then."  
The strange voice puzzled Toka, but after David and Nicole woke he felt a little more at ease.  
On their way to the Great Hall, they noticed a low, gentle melody strumming through the passageway. Following it, they discovered Templa, playing a small harp.  
"Mae govannen. Sleep well?" He smiled, plucking out a pleasant tune. Headmaster Weasley turned the corner, and approached them.  
"Ah, music," he said, listening intently.  
"A magic beyond all we do here." Templa completed with a smile. "You know, that's the third time you've stopped by and said that."  
Looking a little sheepish, but pleased nonetheless, he continued on his way.  
Templa slung the harp over his shoulder and began to walk with them. "He's nice."  
"Well, I slept like a rock. How about you, Templa?" David answered.  
"Haha... Me? I sang in the starlight." Templa laughed.  
"Oh, hey, that's right; Wood Elves don't need to sleep do they?" Toka mused.  
David and Nicole turned, surprised.  
"Yes, that's true... You read Tolkien don't you? He was an Elf Friend." Templa looked pleased.  
After breakfast, Toka, David, and Nicole had to find their way to their class.  
There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and David was sure the coats of armor could walk.  
The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them suddenly glided through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"  
Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch, who'd as soon lock a student in the dungeon as help them. Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, an aged, scrawny, dust-covered creature wuth bulging, lamplike eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps Templa) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.  
And then, once you managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic than waving a wand and saying a few funny words.  
They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names and the movementsof the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for. Templa was perfectly at home with these classes.  
Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up the next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Garod the Grim and Edward the Eccentric mixed up.  
Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk.  
Professor McGonagall was again different. Toka had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.  
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."  
Nicole showed McGonagall her pet cat, which she had already transfigured back, and with her permission, changed it to an owl and back for the class. McGonagall showed the class how her form had been well practiced and gave Nicole a rare smile.  
The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but they discovered that the class was taught by Snape, Head of Slytherin House. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels. Toka had heard rumors that he always favored the Slytherins - and quickly saw it was true. It wasn't long before Gryffindor lost five points in all, and just their first week in class.  
Friday was an important day for Toka, David, and Nicole. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without Templa's help.  
"What have we got today?" Nicole asked David as she poured sugar on her cream of wheat.  
"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said David. "Malfoy's the teacher. According to Becky, he's only recently become a teacher at Hogwarts."  
Just then, the mail arrived. Toka had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfasat, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.  
A large, ruddy colored owl fluttered down and dropped a note onto Toka's plate. Toka opened it. It said, in a very untidy scrawl: 

Dear Toka, David, and Nicole,  
I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send me an answer back with the owl.  
Hagrid

Toka pulled out a pen and wrote _Yes, please, see you later_ on the back of the note, and sent the owl off again.  
Not five seconds later, another three owls dropped letters on Toka, David, and Nicole's plates. They were letters from their families. Toka's letter had been forwarded by David's parents.  
Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled dead animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Professor Malfoy was a pale man, with an extraordinary air of youth about him. His light, silvery blonde hair was combed back, and his eyes gazed piercingly upon his class.  
"Ah... Fresh meat. I remember my first year at Hogwarts, not so very long ago... Professor Snape was the teacher then." He said in a faintly drawling tone "His words are still fresh in my mind;" suddenly speaking in barely more than a whisper, and sounding stunningly like Snape, he began, "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," Like McGonagall and Snape, Malfoy had the entire class's attention. He continued, "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the sofly simmering cauldron with it's shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." He paused delicately, then returned to his usual manner of speech. "Yes... Well, I'm not Snape, and you are certainly not dunderheads. So if you _pay attention_..." He turned to Steve, who had been sniggering earlier when Draco had been imitating Snape. "I can teach you some useful potions skills early, and maybe even some... outside of the curriculum. Ten points to every house that can keep their yaps shut about it when we do... And remember: You are not to experiment outside of class." 


End file.
